A significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the East China Sea 61 kilometer from Kagoshima, Japan in the early afternoon of Tuesday December 17th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the East China Sea, right off the coast of Japan (11 mi offshore), 61 kilometer south-southwest of Kagoshima. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 166 km.
| Date and Time: | Dec 17, 2024 13:09 (Tokyo Time) - Dec 17, 2024 04:09 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 61 km SSW of Kagoshima, Japan. Coordinates 31°5'25"N 130°14'14"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 56 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.077 . |
| Depth: | 166 km (103 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Makurazaki in Kagoshima, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 21 kilometer (13 mi) south-southwest of Makurazaki.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Kagoshima is located 61 km to the north-northeast. Fukuoka is located 280 km to the north. Kumamoto is located 196 km to the north-northeast.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 21 km (13 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Makurazaki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 37 km (23 mi) N from epicenter |
Kaseda-shirakame Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 42 km (26 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Ibusuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 61 km (38 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kagoshima Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 61 km (38 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ijūin Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 62 km (39 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tarumizu Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 67 km (42 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kanoya Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 70 km (43 mi) N from epicenter |
Kushikino Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 81 km (50 mi) N from epicenter |
Satsumasendai Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 82 km (51 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kajiki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 83 km (52 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Nishinoomote Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 84 km (52 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hamanoichi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 87 km (54 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kokubu-matsuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 93 km (58 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Shibushi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) NE from epicenter |
Sueyoshichō-ninokata Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 103 km (64 mi) N from epicenter |
Akune Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 105 km (65 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kushima Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 106 km (66 mi) NE from epicenter |
Miyakonojō Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) N from epicenter |
Izumi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 115 km (71 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ōkuchi-shinohara Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 121 km (75 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Nichinan Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 122 km (76 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kobayashi Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 125 km (78 mi) N from epicenter |
Ushibukamachi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 126 km (78 mi) N from epicenter |
Minamata Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 134 km (83 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Hitoyoshi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 145 km (90 mi) NE from epicenter |
Miyazaki Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 152 km (94 mi) N from epicenter |
Hondomachi-hondo Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 157 km (98 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tsuma Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 161 km (100 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Honmachi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 167 km (104 mi) NE from epicenter |
Takanabe Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 172 km (107 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kawaminami Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Matsubase Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 182 km (113 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Uto Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) N from epicenter |
Nagasaki Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 189 km (117 mi) N from epicenter |
Shimabara Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 195 km (121 mi) N from epicenter |
Obita Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 196 km (122 mi) N from epicenter |
Isahaya Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 196 km (122 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kumamoto Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) N from epicenter |
Togitsu Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōmura Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 214 km (133 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nobeoka Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōmuta Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 236 km (147 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Sasebo Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) N from epicenter |
Saga Saga, Japan. |
| 249 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Kurume Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) N from epicenter |
Karatsu Saga, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) N from epicenter |
Chikushino-shi Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ōita Ōita, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Beppu Ōita, Japan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōnojō Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) N from epicenter |
Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Japan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since November 17th, 2024, when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit 253 km (157 mi) further south-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on August 8th, 2024.
In total, 53 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 2 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 166 km (103 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 21/12/24 03:38 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nzg7
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241217_0000050
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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